Infant&#39;s bathing and dressing stand



Aug. 11, 1959 Filed Aug. 27, 1956 C. E. PACKARD ETAL INFANTS BATHING AND DRESSING STAND 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fl (5 l \JSO - -24 FIG. 2

INViNT R. WAYNE J. DI IN CLIFTON E. PACKARD BY 2147M ATTORNEY Aug. 11, 1959 c. PACKARD ET AL INFANTS BATHING AND DRESSING STAND Filed Aug. 27, 1956 4 SheetsSheet 2 FIG.

FIG

FIG. 8

ATTORNEY Aug. 11, 1959 c. E. PACKARD ETAL 2,898,608

INFANTS BATHING AND DRESSING STAND Filed Aug. 27, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 F l G FIG.

INV

DIVINE E. PACKNRD 77. 4.24%

ATTORNEY FlG. 6

Aug. 11, 1959 c. E. PACKARD ETAL 2,898,603

INFANTS BATHING AND DRESSING STAND Filed Aug. 27, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. l2

FIG. l3

INVENTOR. WAYNE J. DIVINE CLIFTON E. PACKARD BY m a. 24%

ATTORNEY United States Patent INFANTS BATHING AND DRESSING STAND Clifton E. Packard and Wayne J. Divine, South Bend, Ind.

Application August 27, 1956, Serial No. 606,491

10 Claims. (Cl. 4--177) The present invention relates to an infants bathing appliance and more particularly an infants foldable bathing and dressing stand.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide an infants foldable bathing and dressing stand having a rotatable table which permits the infant to be moved to various positions without being lifted from or moved on the table.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a table or the like for an infants bathing stand, which can be easily rotated to any horizontal angular position to facilitate care of an infant with a minimum amount of handling during dressing, undressing, bathing or drying,

Still another object of the invention is to provide a table for use in dressing, undressing, and bathing infants, which can easily be rotated to any horizontal angular position without the mother or nurse removing her hands from the infants body.

A further object of the invention is to provide an infants bathing and dressing stand which can easily be serviced and readily cleaned and which can be used in confined areas and thereafter folded into a compact form for storing.

Another object is to provide an infants bathing and dressing stand which includes readily accessible dispensing fixtures for all of the essential materials needed in caring for an infant during bathing and dressing.

Another object is to provide a rotatable table for an infants bathing and dressing stand, which permits access to the water in the bathing tub while the table is in use and which can readily be moved to and from a storage position on the back of the stand.

Additional objects and advantages of the present illvention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is an oblique view of our infants bathing and dressing stand showing it in position ready for use; Figure 2 is a front elevational view of our stand;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of our stand taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2, showing the rotatable table in its nonoperating position;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of our stand taken on the same line as the view of Figure 3, showing the rotatable table in its operative position;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of our stand with the rotatable table removed;

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view of our stand taken on the same line as the view in Figure 3, showing the stand in a partly folded position;

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the frame of the stand;

Figures 8 and 9 are enlarged fragmentary views of a portion of the structure for supporting the tub;

Figure 10 is a vertical cross sectional view of a portion of the structure for supporting the tub, taken on line 10-10 of Figure 3;

Figure 11 is a side elevational view of our rotatable table;

Figure 12 is a top plan view of the supporting frame of the rotatable table;

Figure 13 is an end view of the supporting frame of the rotatable table;

Figure 14 is an enlarged top plan view of a bearing structure employed in our rotatable table; and

Figure 15 is a cross sectional view of the bearing structure, taken on line 15-15 of Figure 14.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, numeral 20 designates the tub of our bathing and dressing stand, numeral 22 designates a rotatable table mounted in operative position over the tub, 24 and 26 designate end members of the frame, and 28 designates a fixture for retaining and dispensing the material such as tissue, soap, powder, cotton and pins, used in bathing and dressing the baby. The tub is provided with a suitable drain such as a tube shown in part at numeral 29, connected to an outlet in the bottom of the tub, and may have a hammock of the well known type to support the infant above the water in the tub. While the stand is illustrated principally in its unfolded position ready for use, it will fold into a compact form which can readily be stored.

The frame of the stand consists of two inverted U- shaped end members 24 and 26 connected by a bar 30 pivotally joined to the rear legs of each member in the manner shown in Figure 7. At each end of the bar a sleeve 32 having an extension 34 connected rigidly to the end of bar 30 is slipped onto the leg and adjusted to the proper height where it is held by collars 36 and 38 above and below the sleeve, respectively, riveted or otherwise rigidly joined to the leg. This construction forms a hinge which permits the end members to swing from their positions at right angles to bar 30 inwardly toward one another until they rest against said bar or against one another. End members 24 and 26 and bar 30 are preferably constructed of hollow tubular steel or aluminum material and are provided with rubber cups 40 to prevent damage to the floors and slipping by the stand.

Tub 20 is constructed of flexible rubberized cloth or plastic material supported on a frame 50 having two horizontal arms 52 and 54 held by brackets 56 and 58, respectively, said material being joined to the frame by a series of spaced plastic or metal rings 66). These rings, which are sewed or otherwise joined to the material, slide easily on the frame and hence permit the tub to be dernounted when it is to be replaced or reconditioned. Arms 52 and. 54 are slidably mounted on their respective brackets and are held in place by clips 62 and 64 which are riveted to the side of the brackets. The brackets are pivotally mounted on bar 30 to permit the tub to fold downwardly to the position shown in Figure 6 when the stand is to be folded for storing. To prevent the frame from slipping from clips 62 and 64 except when the tub is to be removed from the frame, a removable pin 65 is inserted in the end of arms 52 and 54, and to hold the frame in its forward position as seen in Figure 4 while the tub is being used a pivoted finger 63 drops down behind the end of said arms.

As shown in Figure 5 the front and two sides of the tub are supported by frame 50 and the rear is supported by a rod 66 removably mounted at its ends on the sides of brackets 56 and 58. Figures 8 and 9 show the manner in which the rod is connected to the brackets. The end of the rod is provided with a head 68 joined to the rod by a neck 79. The head slips through a hole 72 in the side of the bracket and the neck then seats in a downward extension 74 of the hole. The head, being larger than the downward extension of the hole, holds the rod in place. As seen in Figure 8 the portion of the rod adjacent each end is curved to place the central portion of the rod on the same plane as frame 50. When the tub is to be removed from'therod, the latter is merely lifted from holes 72 and pulled endwise todisengage rings 60. b

When the tub is lifted to its operative position, frame 50 and brackets 56 and 58 are held in their horizontal position by fingers 80 and 82 mounted on end members 24 and 26 as shown in Figure 10, and having a hole 84 therein for receiving the end ofia pin -86 which is rigidly fastened to the side of the brackets. When the tub is to be lowered, fingers 80 and 82 are sprung outwardly sufliciently to clear the end of the respective pins.

The rotatable table 22 is supported on frame 50 and rod '66 by two parallel members 90 and 92' which are provided with hook-like ends 94 and 95 for gripping the frame" and rod to hold the table firmly on the stand wlul'e it is being used. A platform 96 is mounted on members 90 and 92 and secured thereto at its side edges by rivets, thus forming a rigid structure to support the rotatable top 98. The top consists of a panel 100 having an annular rim 102 and is preferably covered with a cloth padding 104 extending over the rim and under the lower margin of the top where its edges are fastened by a draw string, snap buttons or thelike to permit it to be easily removed forcleaning and drying. The top is rotatably mounted on platform 96 by a stud 106 extending through a hole in the center of panel 100 and a corresponding hole in the center of platform 96. To facilitate rotation of the top under the weight of the infant and to give the top stability, a plurality of bearings 110 seated in platform 96 and extending above the top thereof support the top on a substantial radius around stud 106. Onesuitable type of bearing is shown in detail in Figures 14 and 15 and consists of a roller 112 and pin 11 4 supported in the side Walls of a casing 116. The casing is inserted in a hole in the top of the platform and is held in place by integral flanges 118 and 120 resting on the top surface of the platform.

The table is supported in its nonoperating position on bar 30 by hooks 122 attached to the underside of members 90 and 92, as shown in Figure 3. When the table is to be placed in operative position, tub frame 50 and side arms 52 and 54 are slid rearward-1y from the position shown in Figure 3 to a short distance beyond the position shown in Figure 4. The table is then lifted from bar 30 and pulled forward until the hooked ends 95 on the rear of members 90 and 92 engage bar 30 and then lowered to horizontal position with the hooked ends 94 on the front of said member slightly forward of the front bar of frame 50. With the table in this position, frame 50 is pulled forward sufficiently to slip firmly into hooked ends 94 to place the table in its operative position as shown in Figure 4. In this position the table top will rotate freely through 360 degrees, thus permitting the mother or nurse to move the infant quickly and safely to the most convenient position for drying and dressing. When the table top is turned crosswise of the stand a substantial portion of the tub is exposed at either end thus permitting easy access to the water for sponge baths and Washing the babys hair. A strap 121 reaching from one edge of the top 98 to the other may be used to prevent the infant from rolling off the table. The table can be easily returned to its inoperative position by merely pushing frame 50 rearwardly sufficiently to disengage face such as a table top with the ends. 94 and of members 90' and 92 forming the legs for table 22. Suetion cups for grasping the surface are preferably provided on the lower side of ends 94 and 95.

In order to have all the equipment at hand for proper care of the infant, the fixture 28 shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5 for tissue, soap, powder, pins, cotton, oil and the like is mounted on either one of the two end members 24 or 26 It consists of a U-shaped bracket for holding boxes of tissue and dispensing cans of powder and the like and a compartment- 132 for the smaller items such as pins. Bracket 130 and compartment 132 are secured to a back 134 which in turn is bolted or otherwise removably secured to the desired member 24 or 26. A tray of cloth or plastic material for towels and the like may be removably mounted on the stand beneath the tub by attaching its corners with hooks 142 to the legs of members 24 and 26.

When the stand is to be folded for storage, table 22 is moved to the position shown in Figure 3 supported on bar 30 by hooks 122, tray 140 is unhooked from the legs of members 24 and 26, and tub 20 is lowered fromthe position shown in Figure 4 to the position shown in Figure 6. The lowering of the tub is accomplished by disengaging fingers 80 and 82 from pin 86 and swinging brackets 56 and 58 downwardly on their pivot around bar With table 22 and tub 20in the position shown in Figure 6, end members 24 and 26 can be swung inwardly on sleeves 32 until they lie flat against each other and against the bottom of the folded tub, thus forming a compact structure which can be easily and conveniently stored.

Various modifications and changes can be made in our stand and rotatable table without departing from the scope of the present invention.

We claim:

1. An infants bathing and dressing stand, comprising two inverted U-shaped end members, a bar pivotally connected to said endmembers on one side thereof, brackets pivoted on said bar adjacent said end members and movable between vertical and horizontal positions, a frame having parallel horizontal members supported at each end by said brackets and slidable therein, a rod connecting said brackets ata point between said bar and the remote portion of said frame opposite said one side, a flexible impervious member supported by said frame and rod forming a tub, releasable means on said end members for holding said brackets in their horizontal position, a table supported by said bar and movable from a vertical position on said bar to a horizontal position above said tub and having two spaced parallel members for engaging said frame and bar, a platform mounted on and connecting said parallel members, a pivot means on said platform, a rotatable top mounted on said pivot means, and bearing means between said platform and said top.

2. An infants bathing and dressing stand, comprising two inverted U-shaped end members, a support member pivotally connected to said end members on one side thereof, brackets pivoted ,on said last mentioned member adjacent said end members and movable between vertical and horizontal positions, a frame having parallel horizontal members supported ateach end by said brackets and slidable therein, a rod connecting said brackets at a point between said bar and the remote portion of said frame opposite said one side, a tub supported by said frame and rod, releasable means supported by said end members for holding said brackets in their horizontal position, a table supported by said bar and movable from a vertical position on said support member to a horizontal position above said tub and having a rotatable top, a platform, bearings between said top and platform, and parallel members attached to said platform and-adapted to engage said frame and support member.

3. An infants bathing and dressing stand, comprising two inverted U-shaped end members, a support member gsssaos pivotally connected to said end members on one side thereof, brackets pivoted on said last mentioned member adjacent said end members and movable between vertical and horizontal positions, a frame having parallel horizon tal members supported at each end by said brackets and slidable therein, a rod connecting said brackets at a point between said bar and the remote portion of said frame opposite said one side, a tub supported by said frame and rod, releasable means supported by said end members for holding said brackets in their horizontal position, and a rotatable table movable from a vertical position on said support member to a horizontal position above said tub and having a support means adapted to engage said frame and support member.

4. An infants bathing and dressing stand, comprising two end members, a support member pivotally connected to said end members, brackets pivoted on said last men tioned member and movable between vertical and horizontal positions, a frame having parallel horizontal members supported at each end by said brackets, a tub supported by said frame, releasable means supported by said end members for holding said brackets in their horizontal position, two spaced parallel members for engaging said frame and support member, a platform mounted on and connecting said parallel members, a pivot means on said platform, a rotatable top mounted on said pivot means, and bearing means between said platform and said top.

5. An infants bathing and dressing stand, comprising two end members, a horizontal support member pivotally connected at its ends to said end members on one side thereof, a frame having parallel horizontal members supported by said end members, a tub supported by said frame, two spaced parallel members supported on said frame and support member, a platform mounted on and connecting said parallel members, a pivot means on said platform, a rotatable top mounted on said pivot means, and bearing means between said platform and said top.

6. An infants bathing and dressing stand, comprising two end members, a horizontal support member pivotally 6 7 connected at its ends to said end members on one side thereof, a frame having parallel horizontal members supported by said end members, a tub supported by said frame, and a rotatable table movable from a vertical position on said support member to a horizontal position above said tub and having a support means supported by said frame and support member.

7. An infants bathing and dressing stand, comprising two end members, a frame having parallel horizontal members supported by said end members, a tub supported by said frame, two spaced parallel members supported by and engaging said frame, a platform mounted on and connecting said parallel members, a pivot means on said platform, a rotatable top mounted on said pivot means, and bearing means between said platform and said top.

8. A rotatable table for use in infant care, a pair of parallel members, means on eachend of said members for supporting said table, a platform mounted on and connecting said parallel members, a pivot means on said platform, a rotatable top mounted on said pivot means, and bearing means between said platform and said top.

9. A rotatable table for use in infant care, a pair of parallel members, means on each end of said members for supporting said table, a platform mounted on and connecting said parallel members, a pivot means on said plat form, and a rotatable top mounted on said pivot means.

10. A bathing and dressing stand, comprising two end members, a frame supported by said end members, a tub supported by said frame, support means extending across said tub, means on said support means for engaging said frame, and a rotatable table pivoted on said support means for horizontal rotation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,115,968 Park Nov. 3, 1914 2,237,076 Kenney et a1 Apr. 1, 1941 2,481,318 Lonstein et a1. Sept. 6, 1949 

